Philippines’ $5 billion Jollibee fast food chain to open in Dallas

Filipino fast food restaurant Jollibee is set to open on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue near University Boulevard in late 2022.

A sign announcing the opening hangs from a former Jack in the Box drive-thru restaurant in east Dallas. CultureMap reported it yesterday.

The company’s entry into North Texas in 2020 has been spectacular: we called it the hottest fast-food joint to open in D-FW since In-N-Out arrived in 2011. Some customers waited four hours for food at the restaurant which opened near Preston Road and the President George Bush Turnpike in West Plano. The drive-thru line spilled over into Preston and onto the turnpike, shutting down traffic.

And why? Jollibee is the largest catering company in the Philippines. His market capitalization is $4.94 billion right now, according to Yahoo Finance. CNBC calls it the “Philippine McDonalds.” And even though he arrived in the United States in 1998, it took him another 22 years to land in North Texas.

It’s unclear how many Jollibees might open in D-FW, or if any other leases are signed in Dallas proper. A spokeswoman says Arlington is a focal point.

Jollibee’s entry into Dallas is significant because it signifies this powerful Asian company expanding into one of Texas’ largest cities.

Even Anthony Bourdain ate at the Jollibee. The chef visited the LA boutique in 2013 to film a segment for his food travel show Unknown parts. Bourdain passed away in 2018.

Many Jollibee customers are there to order Chickenjoy, which are pieces of fried chicken served in buckets or accompanied by steamed rice, fries or mashed potatoes. Another popular order is the Jolly Spaghetti, a plate of noodles and gravy topped with hot dogs and cheese.

The ultimate order – which would hit all of Jollibee’s hottest menu items – would be the Chickenjoy Bucket Treat B: six pieces of fried chicken, a family size serving of Jolly Spaghetti and three peach and mango pies for dessert . The regulars seem to like pies.

Ahead of the Plano store opening, Maribeth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Group North America, Philippine Brands, said she was touched by the response to Jollibee’s expansion.

“For Filipino Americans who consider Jollibee a ‘taste of home’ as well as those trying our products for the very first time, our wish is that Jollibee can be a source of comfort for individuals and families in these times. uncertain,” she said in 2020.

• Goldee’s Barbecue, the best barbecue restaurant in Texas, located in Fort Worth
• Brunchaholics, a former pop-up turned restaurant
• 85C Bakery Cafe, a buzzing spot when the Taiwanese chain came to Texas
• And the aforementioned In-N-Out – which now has normal lines, but was once such a sight that a woman cried as she took her first bites of the burger.

The new Jollibee in Dallas will be at 4703 Greenville Ave. The only operating Jollibee restaurant in North Texas, for now, is at 1016 Preston Road (north of President George Bush Turnpike), Plano.

Nick Rallo contributed to this story.

For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.